Of Birds and Fish
by dramionefan4ever
Summary: "Contrary to popular belief, Granger, I don't make a habit of seducing drunk girls who just got stood up at the altar." "I wasn't stood up. If you'll recall, I did the leaving." 3 years after the final book. Dramione fic. Inspired by the quote "a bird could love a fish, but where would they live?"
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the storyline.  
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**Prologue**

I look around the crowded room once more, searching for someone, anyone, I knew. The results were the same. Several people I recognized from Hogwarts or the Ministry, but no one I would consider to be my friend. I don't know why I would expect it to be any different. It's not as if there were many people I considered to be friends to begin with and those that I did certainly wouldn't be in a place like this.

Why was I here anyway?

Oh, right. Because she asked me to come.

Two months I'd been working in her department and out of nowhere she blurts out the invitation.

_"You should come to my wedding."_

Well, I was here, wasn't I? I'd stay for the ceremony, then duck out before the reception. I could do that much. It wasn't as if anyone wanted me here anyway.

As I think the words, I feel the eyes burning into me. I'd tried to slip in quietly and find a seat at the very back of the room to avoid notice, but if the glare I was receiving from the groom was any indication, I'd failed miserably.

Frankly, I was still stunned that I'd been able to come inside at all, but I guess churches only kept out demons, not former death eaters, though if you asked me, I wouldn't be able to tell you the difference.

The music changes and I watch as the wedding party enters, first a small boy carrying the rings. I watch in amazement as his hair seems to shift from blonde to brown before my very eyes. Behind him is the flower girl, a very young child with long blonde hair. I recognize her immediately as the daughter of the female triwizard champion from fourth year. The french girl. I was never very good with names. The girl is soon followed by two bridesmaids in dark blue dresses, one with red hair, the other a blonde.

The music changes again and everyone rises. Because of my position in the back row, I am right next to the double doors as they swing open to reveal the bride. My breath catches in my throat.

She's stunning.

She catches my eye and smiles before beginning her slow walk down the aisle. She's walking by herself. From what she's told me at work, I know that her parents are still missing even though it's been three years since the war ended.

As she joins the groom at the front of the room, we all resume our seats as the minister begins his speech. It's the usual speech, the same one you hear at almost every wedding, the same one that will be said at my own wedding in a few weeks time.

He reaches the part about objections and everyone holds their breath. It's always the most interesting part of the ceremony. The anticipation. Will anyone speak up? Of course, they never do, but it's still fun to wonder.

Then something happens. I hear a few gasps and look up to see a girl in the fourth row has stood up. I recognize her from Hogwarts. Her name was something ridiculous. Two colors put together or something like that. Lavender Brown. That was it.

Everyone waits with bated breath to hear what she's going to say. It seems to take hours, but in reality, it's probably only been five seconds since she stood.

"Because I'm pregnant with his child."

Well, that was certainly unexpected.

The room is silent for a moment, then chaos erupts. I see the maid of honor, the Weaslette...Winnie? No. That wasn't quite right. Ginny. That was it. I watch as she decks her brother in the face. If the blood pouring down his dress robes is any indication, she certainly packs a good punch.

In the pandemonium that follows, I'm the only one who notices the train of the bride's gown whipping out of sight around the door next to me. I slip out after her.

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><p><strong>AN: This is just the prologue. The official chapter 1 will be up shortly depending on the response I get to this. <strong>

**Also, this is my first fic written in the first person. I'm still deciding if I want the entire fic this way or just the prologue. Opinions?**

**Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

**Random fact: As I sat down to write this chapter, the song 'Before He Cheats' came on. Ironic.**

Finding Granger came easier to me than it should have.

When I followed her out of the chapel, I was just in time to see her apparate away. Guessing where she would go wasn't difficult at all. I'd notice a little idiosyncrasy of hers when we all returned to Hogwarts for our final year after the war. When she was upset, particularly after a fight with the Weasel, she'd retreat to the library.

With no library close at hand, I assumed she'd go to her office at the Ministry.

I was right.

I walk into the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and I can see her sitting at her desk through the door she left cracked.

I knock and push the door open all the way.

She looks up from where she's writing furiously and groans. "Go away, Malfoy. I'm not in the mood."

She returns to writing and I come further into the room. She's still in her wedding gown, but the veil is missing. The white lace sticking out of a nearby trash can doesn't escape my notice.

As she continues to ignore me, I walk over to her bookcase and slowly lift a picture of her and the Weasel from the shelf. "I don't suppose you'll be needing this anymore?"

She looks up to see what I'm talking about. "No. I don't suppose I will."

I nod and throw it in the trash on top of the veil. She smiles slightly.

I shove my hands in my pockets and look at her. I suppose I should try to talk to her. At least she's not crying. I never did well with overly emotional women.

"Do you..er...want to talk about it?" I ask after some hesitation.

She stares at me for a moment as if she's wondering if she heard me right. I can't blame her. Talking about anyone's feelings had never been one of my strong suits.

"Not particularly," she replies after a moment. "I'd rather just forget about it."

"Alright, then let's go get a drink or something."

She looks at me suspiciously. "And why would I want to do that?"

"Think about it, Granger. If I was able to find you, how long do you think it'll be before Potter or his wife show up?"

I can see that she knows I have a point, so I continue. "If you really don't want to talk about it, you should get out before that. And the last place they're going to expect you to be at a time like this is out having a drink with me."

"Alright." she agrees.

"Great. Let's go." I start for the door only to stop when I recall what she's wearing. "Perhaps you'd like to go home and change first?"

She shakes her head. "We share an apartment. I'm not going to risk it. Besides, there's no need."

I watch as she stands and picks up her wand. She holds the skirt of her gown out in one hand and uses a severing charm to cut the material just above her knees to shorten the dress. She then casts a spell to change the color.

I snort. "Black, Granger? As in the color of mourning? If I were you, I'd be celebrating the removal of the oversized red-headed growth."

She raises an eyebrow, but changes the color again to a dark blue.

I nod in approval. "Much better."

"If you're done critiquing my appearance, we can go now."

"Ladies first." I smirk and motion for her to go ahead.

* * *

><p>Drinking with Granger was an interesting experience to be sure. I watch in amazement as she downs yet another shot of firewhiskey and smirk as I recall the face she'd made after her first one.<p>

That was three hours ago.

By now, she's quite drunk. After the day she's had, I can't say I blame her.

"..but Lavender of all people!"

She's ranting now and I can't help but smile as I listen to her.

"If he was going to cheat, he should have at least picked someone better looking!"

"If it's any consolation, Granger, I think you're much better looking than she is."

Why did I say that? It must be the alcohol talking.

She laughs. It's the first real smile I've seen since what she's dubbed 'the wedding fiasco.' "Don't let Astoria hear you say that." Something seems to dawn on her. "Merlin, she must be getting worried about you. It's really late."

I shrug. "We don't talk much."

"Do you love her?"

"No, and I don't think she particularly cares for me either, but I'm going to marry her anyway."

"Why?" she asks and I briefly wonder why I'm telling her all of this.

"It's what our parents expect of us. We'll get married, produce an heir and then probably live in separate households for the rest of our lives."

"That's so sad."

She looked so serious as she said it, that I can't help but laugh. "Yes, Granger, I suppose it is sad."

* * *

><p><strong>Hermione's POV<strong>

The first thing I become aware of when I wake up is a horrible pounding in my head. Perhaps it's what woke me up to begin with. I struggle to open my eyes and groan as the light makes the pounding worse. I throw my arm over my eyes to shield them, but the brief glimpse I'd caught of the room was enough to tell me one thing.

This wasn't my room.

I struggle to recall the day before. It wasn't like me to drink so much that I'd wake up with a hangover of this magnitude.

I remember the wedding fiasco. Yes, that would explain the drinking. I remember going back to my office and Malfoy showing up. Then we'd gone for drinks.

No, that couldn't be right.

I hear the door creak and soft footfalls across the carpeted floor, but can't find the will to open my eyes again. I hear a clink as something is set down on the nightstand next to me.

"Morning, Granger."

My eyes fly open against my will and I find myself staring at Draco Malfoy, who's standing next to the bed.

"I thought you might want this." He indicates the vial he'd just set down. "It's a hangover potion."

I'm speechless.

I sit up and pull the covers to my chest. It's then that I realize what I'm wearing. It's a grey sweater embroidered with the Slytherin crest that falls to mid-thigh on me.

I feel the color flood my cheeks. "Oh my...did we...?"

He laughs.

"Contrary to popular belief, Granger, I don't make a habit of seducing drunk girls who just got stood up at the altar."

I groan. "I wasn't stood up."

"Fine." he concedes. "Left at the altar, then."

"If you'll recall, I was the one who did the leaving."

"So you did."

He turns to go, then motions to the potion. "Drink it. It will help. There's breakfast downstairs if you're hungry."

I wait for the door to close behind him before I jump out of bed. I regret the sudden movement immediately and reach for the vial.

He's right. It does make me feel better.

I scan the room and locate what remains of my wedding gown draped across a chair in the corner. I shrug out of the sweater and put the dress back on before casting a spell to smooth out the wrinkles.

I make the bed before going downstairs.

I find him in the kitchen, leaning against the counter as he drinks his coffee. He motions to the table, where a variety of breakfast foods are spread out. "I wasn't sure what you liked," he explains.

I'm spreading butter on a piece of toast when he speaks again and I look up.

"This came for you about an hour ago." He's holding an envelope. "I believe it's from your ex-fiance."

"Mmm. Get rid of it."

"With pleasure."

He holds the envelope between his thumb and forefinger and murmurs "_Incendio."_ He throws it into the fireplace and we both watch it burn.

I sit awkwardly at the table for a moment. This was definitely not how I'd planned to spend the day after my wedding.

"What happened last night?"

I hate having to ask, but I don't remember much past our arrival at the bar.

He sets his mug down on the counter and comes to join me at the table. "You were drunk and didn't want to go home, so I offered to let you use my guest room for the night. I let you borrow one of my shirts to sleep in since I didn't figure sleeping in that dress would be very comfortable." He shrugs like it's no big deal.

I finish off the piece of toast and stand. "I'll be going then. I have a lot to do."

He looks at me curiously, so I explain.

"I have to arrange to get my stuff and find a new place to stay."

I know I could probably stay in the spare bedroom at Harry and Ginny's if I really needed to, but I don't want to intrude on anyone.

I locate my bag near the front door and pick it up, preparing to leave, but he stops me.

"Granger, listen, I have a few properties that I rent out and one of them is vacant at the moment. It's a flat not too far from here." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a piece of parchment. "I wrote the address down for you. You can stay there until you get on your feet."

It takes me a moment to process what he's saying and I slowly reach out to take the parchment from him. "Why are you being so nice to me, Malfoy?"

He shrugs. "Don't know. I guess I feel like you could use an ally at a time like this."

I continue to stare at him.

"What? Can't believe I'm not a complete jerk?"

"No..I just...Thank you," I say, and I mean it. "For everything."

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><p><strong>Thank you to everyone who reviewed the first chapter! Please, feel free to let me know what you think. Any ideas or suggestions are more than welcome as I'm sort of making this up as I go along.<strong>

**Also, Reviews motivate me to update faster, which means the more reviews I get, the faster we get to the Dramione action. If that doesn't motivate you, I don't know what will.**

**Oh, and I noticed several people had tried to view my profile, so I now have one.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

**Warning: The rating has been upped to M for a reason. If you don't like smut, either stop reading or skip the first section.**

_A drunk Granger is a very happy Granger. At least, that's what I'd gathered from the one experience I'd had with her in that state._

_"Can you imagine the look on his face if he knew where I was? I mean, who would've thought I'd be spending my wedding night in Draco Malfoy's house!" _

_She bursts into hysteric laughter as I lead her into the guest bedroom. I probably should've sent her back to Potter's or something. It was obvious she was in no condition to be going home to deal with her ex-fiance tonight, but that didn't mean I had to offer to let her crash at my place. Yet, here we were._

_Her heels are quickly discarded and she shrinks several inches. I hand her the shirt I'd retrieved from my room on the way here and turn to go, but I'm stopped by the sound of her voice softly calling my name._

_"Can you help me?"_

_She's turned her back to me and I realize she means with the zipper on the back of her dress. _

_Why doesn't she just use her wand to do it herself? Right...because she's drunk and trying to use any form of magic probably wouldn't end well._

_I step forward and take the top of her dress in one hand, using the other to slowly slide the zipper down. The skin on her back is unblemished and I have to fight the urge to reach out and touch it._

_I wonder if it's really as smooth as it looks..._

_Her arms are crossed over her chest to keep the lacy material from sliding down her slim frame. _

_No matter how hard I try, I just can't tear my eyes away from that bit of exposed flesh. I know I should leave her to get ready for bed, but my feet are rooted to the spot._

_She turns and catches me still looking at her._

_Something in my expression must surprise her because I see a look of shock flit across her face before it's quickly replaced by a look I'm more familiar with. Desire._

_The next thing I know, her dress is laying forgotten across the chair in the corner and she's wedged between me and the mattress as I snog her senseless. We break apart as she jerks my shirt up over my head._

_My hands are sliding up her waist and I'm pleased to note that her skin is just as smooth as it looks._

_We're both breathing heavily and her skin is hot to the touch as I pull her strapless bra down to expose one of her breasts. My mouth closes over the nipple and I hear her gasp. Her nails dig into my back as I flick my tongue over it._

_One of my legs separates hers and I move it rhythmically against her center. I'm quickly rewarded with a throaty moan._

My eyes fly open and I find myself laying in my bed, alone. I feel an uncomfortable tightness below my waist and groan.

Damn her. She had no idea what she does to me.

The memory has haunted me all week, even in my sleep, and the irony of it all was that she didn't remember any of it.

I've had the dream every night since I'd brought her home with me and it always ends in the same place, because that moan was what brought me to my senses.

It just wasn't right for me to take advantage of her. She'd just come out of a three year relationship and was drunk to top it all off.

If I was going to fuck Granger, she was bloody well going to remember it.

I roll over to look at the clock next to my bed. It's good that I have time for a shower before work, because I'm going to need it.

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><p><strong>Hermione's POV<strong>

Ginny looks pissed when she enters my office.

"Where the hell have you been, Hermione? I've sent you at least ten owls!"

It's been three days since everything happened and my first day back at work. I'd initially taken the entire week off for my honeymoon, but it seemed pointless to let everything pile up.

"Just laying low for a couple of days." I explain. "I'm sorry I didn't contact you, but I just wanted to take a few days to let everything blow over. I'm sure the Daily Prophet had a field day...I've been too afraid to look yet."

She drops into the chair across from my desk. "Oh, don't worry. I took care of that."

From experience, I know it's better not to ask.

"Harry and I came by your office, you know. We figured this is where you'd be, but you weren't. Where were you?"

"I was here at first. Then I went out."

"Out? With who?"

I shuffle the papers on my desk awkwardly but I can't keep my eyes from straying to Malfoy's desk, which I can see through the door Ginny left open.

She follows my gaze and her eyes widen. "Merlin, Hermione...you went with _him_? Well, you certainly rebound fast..."

"It's not like that, Ginny. We just went for drinks."

"Right. Well, I just came by to tell you that I went ahead and got all of you stuff out for you and moved it over to our place. You can stay in the guest room for a little while if you like."

"Thanks, but we both know that room's not meant for me." I give her stomach a meaningful look.

She rests her hand on her slightly protruding belly."There's still a little while until we have to turn it into a nursery. It's a boy, by the way. We found out yesterday. I would've told you if you hadn't dropped off the face of the earth."

"That's great, Ginny." I'm grateful to have moved on to a different subject. "What are you going to name him?"

"James. After Harry's father, of course. We don't have a middle name picked out just yet."

I'm happy for them, I really am. Though, at the same time, I'm a little envious. Harry and Ginny are just about as perfect as any couple can get. It's obvious to anyone just how in love they really are. I'd hoped Ron and I would have something similar eventually, but now...

As if she's reading my mind, Ginny speaks, "I'm sorry my brother turned out to be such a huge git, Hermione. I'm honestly ashamed to admit I have any relation to him. I punched him for you, though." She smiles. "And you should have heard Mum...I've seen her get angry before, but this was something else."

She catches sight of my expression and stops.

"Sorry, I'm just not ready to talk about it just yet."

"That's ok. You know where to find me if you do want to talk. And the offer to use the guest room still stands."

"Thanks again, but that won't be necessary. Malfoy's letting me use one of his rental properties."

She raises an eyebrow, but doesn't comment. "Well, alright...I guess if you just want to give me the address, Harry and I can bring everything over for you."

"Don't worry about it. I'll come pick it up later this week."

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><p><strong>Draco's POV<strong>

I wait for Red to leave before I go to her office. She's reading some documents so intensely that she doesn't even notice me come in until I'm standing right in front of her and my shadow falls across the papers she's trying to read.

When she looks up, I notice that her eyes are red like she's been crying and what I'm about to say dies in my throat. Her voice snaps me out of it.

"Did you need something, Malfoy?"

"I'm about to go out for lunch. I just wanted to see if maybe you'd like to go with me."

She shakes her head. "I have a lot to catch up on, so I brought my lunch today."

I nod. Well, that certainly hadn't gone how I'd planned. "Right, well, if you change your mind, just let me know."

I start to leave but when I reach the door, I stop.

"He's not worth the tears, Granger."

And then I leave.

**AN:**

**More reviews=faster updates.**

**It's simple math. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed or added this story to their alerts or favorites. As I said, more reviews= faster updates, so here's the next chapter.**

**Also, as a few of you have commented on the title, it comes from the quote 'A fish may love a bird, but where would they live?'  
><strong>

**This takes place one week after the previous chapter.**

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><p>"I need to talk to you. Let's go get lunch."<p>

She looks up, startled.

I'd learned last week that asking didn't work, so I'm trying a different approach.

"What?"

"You heard me, Granger. You're taking your lunch break. I already told the Minister, so get your stuff and let's go."

"Why would I want to do that?" she asks, but she's already setting aside her quill and putting away her papers.

"I told you. We need to talk."

"Yes, I heard that, but might I ask about what?"

"Your current living arrangements."

* * *

><p>We go to a small restaurant directly across from the Ministry. We're quickly seated and she looks at me expectantly after we give our orders to the server.<p>

"Well, you wanted to talk to me, so let's hear it."

"Here's the thing, Granger, one of the families living in one of my rental properties has a three year old daughter who accidentally used magic to set the whole place on fire when she didn't want to take a nap."

"Oh my, is everyone okay?"

Go figure that's what Granger would want to know.

"They're fine, but there's a lot of damage to the property and it's going to take a week or two to fix even with magic. As all of my other rentals are currently occupied, I'd like to put them up in the flat you're using for the duration, but, believe it or not, I'd feel bad about kicking you out, so I'd like to offer you the use of my guest room, just until the repairs are done and they can move back."

I'm lying through my teeth and I hope she doesn't think to check the Daily Prophet for any stories about the fire. I'd gotten the idea from something that actually did happen to one of the houses a year or so back. For the past week, I've tried unsuccessfully to invite her out for drinks again or to lunch. After about the third rejection, I decided more drastic steps needed to be taken, so here we are.

Our lunch arrives, but she doesn't seem to notice.

"Oh, no, I couldn't possibly intrude. I can talk to Harry and Ginny."

I cut her off, "Even though Red's expecting?"

I'd accidentally...well, perhaps not so accidentally...overheard their conversation last week and knew that the spare bedroom was being converted into a nursery for the spawn of The Chosen One.

"I'll figure something out."

"What's the matter, Granger? Was the bed not soft enough for you or something?"

"No...I just..."

"I promise I don't bite and you can move back to the flat just as soon as the repairs are done."

"Well, alright, then..."

She still seems a bit unsure, but I just smile and begin to cut the steak I'd ordered.

"Good. Now that that's settled, you should probably eat. It's getting cold."

* * *

><p>When we return to the Ministry after lunch, it doesn't take me long to notice there's an unwanted visitor lurking outside of her office. She stiffens and I know she's seen him, too.<p>

It's her _wonderful_ ex, standing awkwardly by the door to her office, hands stuffed in his pockets as he shifts his weight from side to side. He looks up and sees us entering together. He looks confused, but that's how he'd always looked at Hogwarts, so maybe his face is just stuck that way.

"You don't have to talk to him if you don't want to."

She doesn't reply, but her steps towards her office never falter, so I continue to walk along beside her.

"What are you doing here, Ronald?"

"Ginny told me you were back at work now...I thought maybe we could talk. _Alone."_ He casts a meaningful glance at me, but I don't move.

I'm not leaving unless she tells me to.

"It's ok, Draco."

It's the first time she's called me by my first name and I know she's doing it to infuriate the Weasel. His face begins to turn red and I decide to help her along a bit.

"See you at home, Hermione."

I look directly at him as I walk back to my desk, smirking all the while.

* * *

><p><strong>Hermione's POV<strong>

"You're living with _him _now?"

It's the first thing he says after I shut the office door behind us and perform the _Muffliato_ spell. I don't want this conversation to be food for the office gossip mill.

"Not that it's any of your business, but, yes, I am."

I've moved around to the other side of my desk and set my wand down on it. It's for his own protection, though, if it wouldn't cause a scandal for the Ministry, I'd probably hex him where he stood.

"Are you dating him now?"

"That's none of your business."

"Are you?" he demands again.

My silence seems to be the only answer he needs.

"How could you, Hermione? That's Draco fucking Malfoy!"

"How could _I_? How could you? I think that's the better question here."

I'm glad I put the silencing charm on the door because my voice is getting louder with every word.

"I never meant for it to happen, Hermione...It's just, she was there, you know. And you were always working. You never had any time for me."

"Oh, so now it's _my _fault? Well, excuse me for actually having some ambition! Unlike you, I actually had a goal and went out to achieve it. And what have you done? You took the easy way out, that's what! We graduated and you jumped on the chance to help out with the joke shop."

"That's not fair. George needed the help..."

He's getting defensive now and the urge to reach for my wand is getting stronger.

"And for your information, Ronald, Draco is ten times the man you'll ever be."

With that, I grab my wand from the desk and storm out and directly over to Malfoy, who is closing a file of papers as he finishes his work for the day.

I grab his arm and pull him towards the lift. "Let's go."

He looks surprised, but goes along with it.

"Oh, and if anyone asks, I may have implied to Ron that you and I are dating."

To my surprise, he just laughs.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong>

**Well, most of what I would say in this is at the top, however, I figure now is as good a time as any to tell you all that I also edit fan videos for HP.**

**Here's a link to one I made about a week ago. I'm rather proud of it. (just add )  
><strong>

**.com/watch?v=MQ_xfXU_4PI**

**And this one's just me practicing with the Dramione pairing:**

**.com/watch?v=SCk5yI_68vw**

**There's also a Snape and Lily video on my page if anyone's interested.**


	5. Chapter 5

**For a full list of my excuses for this chapter being so late, see the author's note at the bottom.**

**Several of you have mentioned Astoria in your reviews. She will not be brought in until a later chapter. As mentioned previously, she and Draco rarely talk and see each other even less. It's just an arranged marriage. She will play an important role in later chapters, however.**

**Draco's pov**

Sharing a house with Hermione Granger was surprisingly easy.

It's been two weeks since she moved in, slightly longer than the amount of time I told her the repairs would take, but I keep stalling. She doesn't seem to mind.

This morning, I'm already making breakfast when she gets up. I hear her before I see her.

"Something smells good," she says as she comes down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Pancakes."

She nods and makes her way over to the coffee pot. It's what we do before work every morning. I make breakfast and she makes the coffee.

"Any word on the repairs?"

Again, it's the same question we start every day with and I give her the same answer, that they'll be done sometime soon.

She doesn't mention it again after that and sets about adding the right amount of coffee grounds and water for two cups.

After she's started it, she leans back against the counter and watches me cook. I know from experience that this is when she'll start to make small talk, so I just wait.

"My parents used to make chocolate chip pancakes every Sunday."

"Chocolate chip pancakes? I thought they were teeth healers or something like that.."

"Dentists," she corrects me and I can tell she's trying not to laugh.

There's a beeping sound from the coffee maker just as I finish the pancakes. I reach up to get some plates from a cabinet and she ducks under my arm to go get two mugs.

A few minutes later, I'm setting the plates on the table and she sets my cup of coffee in front of me.

We eat in silence, each of us reading from a portion of the Daily Prophet. We switch sections when we're done and read some more. When that's over, there's more small talk. Work, the weather, Red's baby shower...She does most of the talking. I'm still not used to having company for breakfast.

Then we leave for work.

It's the same every morning. We've fallen into a routine. It's time to shake things up.

* * *

><p><strong>Hermione's POV<strong>

"What about this one?"

I look up from the stuffed animals I'm arranging to see that the walls around me have changed to a pale purple. "I liked the blue better."

Ginny nods. "Me, too. Which one though?" She waves her wand again and the walls change to a sky blue before flickering and changing over to a darker blue.

"They're both nice."

The walls around me continue to change back and forth between the two shades of blue as she considers.

"Harry wanted to paint the nursery in Gryffindor colors, but I told him I didn't want to pigeonhole the baby. I mean, with a Godmother like you, he may very well end up being some sort of super genius and get put in Ravenclaw."

"Godmother?" The word comes out as a sort of sputtering sound.

Ginny realizes her mistake too late and clamps a hand over her mouth to stifle a groan. "Oh...I wasn't supposed to tell you...Harry wanted to wait until the baby shower."

"I can keep a secret," I promise, but I can't stifle the grin that's breaking across my face.

"Of course, we had originally planned to ask you and Ron to be the godparents, but given recent events, we've had to reconsider that."

I'm not fazed by the mention of his name. It's an improvement to be sure given the anger that has accompanied it as of late.

"He's going to be at the baby shower, of course," Ginny continues. "Mum told me I had to invite him, but I warned him that I'll hex him myself if he doesn't behave. No word yet on whether or not he's bringing the slag with him."

The open ridicule of her brother makes me smile. I can't help it. "It's ok, Ginny. Ronald can bring whomever he wants. It's not going to bother me."

"Oh, it's not you I'm worried about."

There's a pause and I turn to look at her, abandoning the crib I'm assembling for the time being. I can tell from her expression that there's something on her mind that she's not saying. Not speaking her mind is unlike her and I have to admit I'm curious.

"Out with it, Ginny. I promise I can handle whatever it is."

She sighs and hesitates, choosing her words carefully. "It's just the last time I was over at the Burrow helping Mum make decorations for the shower, he came storming in saying something about you and Malfoy. He seems to be under the impression that you two are together now."

"Oh. That." I laugh. "I probably shouldn't have said anything and I didn't, really. He just jumped to conclusions when he hear that I was living with him now."

"So you are living with him, then?"

"Temporarily."

She just shrugs. "Well, I suppose you could do worse. And he is rather good looking."

"Ginny!"

"What? I'm married, not dead."

Trust Ginny to look at it that way. "It's not like that, honestly. He's just being nice and letting me stay there for a little while."

"What happened to the flat you were staying in?"

I explain the situation with the fire to her and she's silent for a moment. "And have you actually met this family or seen the rental that caught on fire?"

"No. Why?"

"No reason." she says quickly.

It doesn't take long for me to catch on to her train of thought. "You think he made it up?"

She shrugs.

"What reason could he possibly have to do that? We weren't even friends then. I mean, I guess we sort of are now, but..." I trail off. "And he's getting married in a month."

"Hermione, everyone knows they're only getting married because it's what their parents want. I don't think they've even seen eachother since their engagement party."

"I think you're reading too much into this. He's just being nice. That's all."

"I just don't want to see you get hurt again, that's all."

"You don't have to worry about me, Ginny. I'll be fine. Besides, you have much more important things to be thinking about." I give her protruding stomach an affectionate pat and she smiles.

"Right...So which color?"

We end up settling for a combination of the two shades of blue. When we're done, the bottom half of the walls are painted a pale sky blue with clouds all around, gradually fading into a darker blue that coats the upper walls and ceiling and is dotted with tiny silver stars.

We step back to admire our handy work. "You know, I don't think any baby has ever had a nursery as beautiful as this."

She just smiles back at me.

* * *

><p>It's late when I return to the house that night. Decorating the nursery had taken far longer than I'd anticipated, but it was worth it. I'm surprised to note that most of the lights are still on. Surely he's not up waiting for me...<p>

I find him asleep on the couch. He's clad only in a pair of loose-fitting pajama pants and my eyes are immediately drawn to the bare expanse of skin left exposed.

His torso is well defined, broad shoulders and a well muscled chest giving way to well sculpted abs and a thin trail of soft blonde hair that disappears beneath the waist band of his pants.

I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks as I realize what I'm doing and I take a step back. I start to head up to my room, but reconsider. It can get chilly in here at night, so I take a spare blanket out of the linen closet and return to the living room, being careful not to look at his bare chest again.

My eyes fall on his face this time. He looks peaceful in sleep and Ginny's words return to me. He is rather good looking.

I drape the blanket over him gently, trying not to wake him. A rustling sound draws my attention and I notice a magazine has slid from the couch to the floor. He must've been reading it when he fell asleep.

As I reach down to pick it up, something catches my attention. My picture is plastered across the page beneath the headline "Hermione's Heartbreak."

Honestly, it's been weeks now. Surely they have something more important to report on, but morbid curiosity gets the best of me and I read it anyway.

It's the usual stuff. Speculation over who I'll end up with. Some think there might be something between Viktor and I still and one even suggests and affair between Harry and I. Who comes up with this garbage? After a few moments, I crumble it in disgust and throw it in a nearby trash bin on my way to bed.

* * *

><p><strong>Draco's POV<strong>

I wake up to the smell of something burning, followed by a string of curses from the kitchen and get up to investigate.

"I didn't know that was in your vocabulary, Granger."

She's scraping what looks like the remains of some burnt bacon into the trash when I enter the room and assess the situation. I glance at the clock. It's time to get ready for work. I must've overslept, which explains why she appears to be attempting to burn my kitchen down.

Trusting in her ability to extinguish a fire should it arise, I make my way up to my room to change, moving my head side to side to get rid of the stiff feeling falling asleep on the couch always brings.

When I return, there are two plates on the table. She's already sitting in one of the chairs, so I take the other.

"Interesting day so far?"

"Shut it, Malfoy."

I smile and look down at the food on my plate. I'm not quite sure what it is. It's yellowish white in color and can only be described as lumpy. I prod it with my fork. It jiggles.

"Are you trying to poison me, Granger?"

"It's an omelette," she explains.

I raise an eyebrow.

"It's eggs, cheese, and tomatoes. It would have had bacon, but you saw how that turned out."

It doesn't look very appetizing, but I try it anyway. I grimace. "Granger, you're a terrible cook. How did you ever manage to feed yourself?"

To my surprise, she just laughs and admits, "Take out, mostly. Maybe we should just drink our coffee and go out for breakfast. We have a little time before work."

I nod. "That's fine." I stand to take our plates into the kitchen and get rid of them.

She follows and crosses over to the cabinet that houses the coffee mugs, but stops when she realizes that they're on a higher shelf than normal.

Before she has time to get her wand and levitate them down, I'm behind her. She spins around in surprise, but since she's between me and the counter, she can't go anywhere. I lock eyes with her as I slowly pull two of the mugs down and set them gently in her hands before I take a step back.

She just stares at me, so I break the silence. "I rearranged last night. Hope you don't mind."

"Well, it is your house," she says evenly, but I note the slight tinge of pink across her cheeks as she turns away.

Perhaps she's not as indifferent to my proximity as she would have me believe.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed and/or added this story to the alerts. Your response motivates me to continue the story. **

**As promised, here's my full list of excuses. Feel free to skip this if you want to.**

**1. I moved to an apartment in Florida that was supposed to have internet access and didn't. Stayed there a little while, then moved to the spare bedroom of my cousin's house. **

**2. I was working 48 hours a week at Disney World on top of being a full time student online.**

**3. Decided Disney was the devil and moved back home just in time for all of the tornadoes, the most recent of which was two days ago.**

**4. When I finally tried to upload, the document manager on here was broken.**

**I never stopped thinking about the story, though. I hope you all can forgive me. =)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

**Note: I realize that since this is set 3 years after the war, it should be 2001 and LOST didn't come out until 2004, but as I was 10 in 2001, I don't remember many popular shows from that time, let alone any British tv shows from the time period, so I'm taking some artistic liberties here.**

**Additionally, I aplogize for any errors you may find. I didn't take the time to proof as it's just been sitting half finished for the past few months and I wanted to post it ASAP.**

**Warning: Here there be lemons...sort of.**

* * *

><p><strong>Hermione's POV<strong>

"Granger, what is that monstrosity?"

His voice startles me and I jump. I didn't hear him come in.

When I turn, I find myself face to face with a bare chested Draco Malfoy. It's a habit he seems to have developed recently, walking around the house shirtless.

My mouth goes dry and I force myself to swallow and look him in the eye. "If I didn't know any better, I'd start to think you didn't own a shirt," I say, trying to make light of the situation.

He just raises an eyebrow at me and I realize that I never answered his question. I hasten to correct that.

"The 'monstrosity' you're referring to is called a television. Muggles use it for entertainment. I brought mine out of storage today."

He looks suspiciously at the TV, which is sitting on a stand in the corner of his living room. "How can muggles find a black box entertaining?"

"It shows moving pictures...It's kind of like how the portraits in the wizarding world can talk and move, except with this, you can't interact with them and the pictures don't have free will..." The more I try to explain, the more ridiculous it sounds. "Here, I'll show you."

I grab his hand and pull him over to the couch and use the remote to turn it on. It comes to life, showing nothing but a blue screen. Of course, Malfoy wouldn't have a cable hook up, so we're limited to my dvd collection which I also brought out of storage. I pick one at random and open the case.

"What's that, then?"

"A dvd."

He's still looking at me like I was speaking in parseltongue or something.

"It's..." I hesitate, trying to decide on the best way to explain. Suddenly it hits me. "It's like memories. Think of the TV like the pensieve. You use it to view things. The dvds are like the vials of memories. They contain specific information that you can view at any time by putting it in the dvd player."

I insert the disc and let it load. "Just watch it for a while. You'll understand."

* * *

><p>"I don't understand. Why don't they just Apparate off the island?"<p>

"They're muggles. They can't."

"And why were they flying in such a stupid contraption anyway? Of course something made of that much metal is going to crash. It's too heavy."

I fight the urge to laugh. Trying to explain a television to Malfoy definitely wasn't the brightest idea I've ever had. All it's doing is creating even more questions.

"People actually watch this?"

"It was really popular for a long time. If it's really bothering you that much, I'll turn it off." I reach for the remote but he stops me by putting his hand on top of mine.

"No. Leave it."

"Oh..um..Alright." I feel the heat rising in my cheeks and I pull my hand away. "When you want to turn it off, just push this button."

I get up and leave the room before he can notice the effect just that simple touch had on me.

When I'm alone in the bathroom, I splash cold water on my face.

What's come over me?

Ever since last week, I've become more aware of his presence. Here, in the office, even in my sleep. He's invading my dreams and that's unforgivable.

I can't get him out of my head and, personally, I'm blaming Ginny.

* * *

><p><strong>Draco's POV<strong>

"So is it true?"

I don't have to look up to know who's speaking. It's my former classmate and one of the few I'd actually consider to be a friend, Blaise Zabini. He works on the floor above mine and drops by on his lunch occasionally.

"Is what true?"

"That you're shacking up with Hermione Granger?"

That gets my attention and I look up from the document I was going over. "Where'd you hear that?"

"It's all anyone's talking about today." He shrugs and spins a chair around in front of my desk and plops down into it. "It was in an article in today's Witch Weekly."

He tosses the offending magazine onto my desk and I pick it up against my better judgment and read over the article. It's short and to the point, just some gossip to fill out the rest of the page. I glance at the author's name.

Sylvia Saunders.

It takes me a moment to recall where I've seen the name before, but then it hits me. I'd come across another article with her name on it just last week. 'Hermione's Heartbreak' or something like that. The woman sure did have an obsession with Granger.

I read over it once more. 'A source close to Miss Granger...' I snort. Three guesses who.

Blaise is staring at me expectantly, waiting for a blatant denial most likely.

"So is it true?" he repeats.

"She is living with me at the moment, yes."

He laughs then. "And to think, I came down here expecting a good show when you found out about the rumors only to find out they're true."

"Go find your entertainment elsewhere, then." I return my attention to the papers on my desk, but he doesn't leave.

Something seems to occur to him. "What about Astoria? Does she know?"

"Does it matter?" I counter.

"Lying to the future wife already...You're off to a good start."

The mention of the word 'wife' causes me to stiffen. It's been nearly a year now since I found out about the engagement, but I'm still not used to it.

I can remember the day I'd found out about it. My first warning had come in the form of an owl from my mother, requesting my presence at the Manor for dinner. My second warning was the presence of the entire Greengrass family when I arrived.

I'd known it was coming. Perhaps not the specifics, such as who or when, but they'd been grooming me for a pureblood marriage as long as I could remember, so it shouldn't have come as a surprise. In a way, I found that finally knowing who I was expected to spend the rest of my life with was actually a bit of a relief.

Astoria was tolerable, much more so than her sister Daphne at any rate. She didn't kid herself into thinking that this would ever be any more than an arranged marriage, had told me so herself at the engagement party where no one else could hear over the cheers for the 'happy' couple.

That was the last time I had seen her, almost six months ago. I left the wedding planning to her and the other women in her family and she'd occasionally send me an owl whenever she had a question: How many groomsmen did I plan to have? What size dress robes would I need?

Ours was a marriage of convenience and nothing else. In her words, it was "practical for our families to be joined."

In a strange, twisted way, the most important thing to a pureblood was family: who your parents were, who you married, and producing an heir to carry on the family name were all high on the list. Behaving like a traditional family, on the other hand, were at the bottom.

It wasn't even uncommon for couples to live in separate homes once an heir was produced. My parents were an exception to that, but I don't kid myself into thinking that they never had affairs. Duty and honor were the only things that kept them together all this time when most days they couldn't even stand to be in the same room together.

"Marrying Astoria wasn't exactly my decision," I remind him.

"So why don't you make it your decision? Tell your parents to shove off or something."

I just look at him, one eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Probably wouldn't end very well for you."

Blaise is one of the lucky ones. His mother, who's had more marriages than I can keep up with, doesn't give a damn who her son marries or if he ever marries at all. Personally, I'm leaning towards the latter. He's too much of a womanizer to ever settle for just one woman.

Speaking of women, I notice Granger has company in her office. Potter stops by for lunch with her every Wednesday. I don't know why I know that, it's not like I'm trying to keep up with who she spends her time with.

I notice something else today, too. She's wearing a skirt and heels today instead of her usual office wear. My eyes fall upon the bare skin of her legs and I find myself wondering what it'd be like to have those legs wrapped around me...

Blaise follows my gaze and lets out a low whistle. "Who would've thought she had a figure like that under those bulky robes she wore in school. Maybe I'll ask her out sometime. Show her what being with a real man is like."

The jealousy creeps up on me from nowhere it seems. I want to say no, that I don't want him to make her into just one of his many conquests, that she deserves better, but I can't. After all, isn't that what I'm trying to do myself?

"I don't think you're her type," I say instead.

"Her type?" he repeats. "She was going to marry the Weasel. I don't think she's that picky."

After he leaves, I find myself watching Granger again. She seems happy, laughing at something Potter has said. Something stupid, I'm sure.

The edition of Witch Weekly that Blaise had brought finds its way into my trash can, but then I change my mind.

I wonder if she's seen this yet..

* * *

><p>I get my answer that night. The front door slams with unnecessary force, causing the glasses to rattle in their cabinets.<p>

"I'm going to hex him into oblivion!"

These are the first words out of Hermione Granger's mouth as she storms into the house. The sad thing is, I know she's not bluffing.

I try to recall a time I've seen her this angry before and only one comes to mind: right before she punched me in third year.

Personally, I wouldn't mind being on the other side of that one this time.

"Bad day?"

She pauses to kick her shoes off in the entryway before making her way further down the hall to join me where I'm standing in the kitchen.

"The worst." She leans against the counter, pressing her fingertips gently to her temples.

Despite what she says, now that her initial outburst is over, she appears to be in a better mood. I move to pour a second cup of tea for her but her hand on my arm stops me.

"I'm going to need something stronger than that to keep me from doing something that might land me in Azkaban."

* * *

><p><strong>Hermione's POV<strong>

His laugh indicates that he thinks I'm joking, but I'm not. After everything Ronald has put me through the last few weeks, this is the last thing I need. Frankly, I don't think anyone would blame me if I _did_ hex him at this point.

"Firewhiskey or mead?"

I jump, startled out of my thoughts by the question. When I look up, Draco is much closer than I anticipated. He sets both bottles on the counter next to me and looks at me, waiting. It's then that I realize he was asking me question.

"Oh..um, it doesn't matter really. Just something to get my mind off of it." I wave my hand dismissively.

When he remains silent, I glance back at him once more. His expression is one that I'm not accustomed to seeing but before I have time to process it, his mouth is covering mine in a searing kiss. I respond without a thought.

I'm not sure how long this lasts, seconds or minutes. It's all a blur. One of his hands is buried in my hair and the other is on my lower back, pressing my body against his. My own hands have found their way to the back of his neck.

I pull back. "What are you doing?" It comes out as a whisper.

"Getting your mind off it," he says before his mouth returns to mine.

And it does. For the first time in weeks my mind is blissfully blank. All the worries I'd had, the disappointment of Ron's betrayal, the anger, the tension, all gone in that instant. All that matters now is the present. The feel of his chest pressed to mine, the sound of my own heartbeat pounding in my ears. All else ceases to exist in this stolen moment.

I feel his hands on my waist just before I'm lifted up onto the counter. He hooks one hand under my leg, pulling me forward until I'm forced to wrap my legs around him or risk losing my balance.

One of the bottles is knocked to the floor in the process, shattering upon impact, but we're both too far gone to care at this point and my shirt soon follows, landing in a heap next to the bottle.

His hands deftly work to remove my bra as his mouth leaves mine, trailing slowly down the column of my throat before closing over one breast.

Merlin, the things the man could do with his tongue...

"Bed," I manage to get out between gasps. He seems to understand well enough and we're soon moving through the house, though to his room or mine, I honestly couldn't say.

There's a nagging voice in the back of my mind, telling me I should be logical and think this through. She sounds oddly like my own voice when I would lecture Harry on the importance of studying. A voice that sounds remarkably like Ginny tells her to shut the hell up and enjoy the ride.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**So, I'm sure most of you probably thought I was dead or something given how long it's been since I was able to update. I actually started and wrote most of this chapter 2 days after I posted Chapter 5...Then my muse went on an extended vacation and just turned back up. This translates into: my cashier job at a grocery store killed my soul, but as my last day is in a week, I'm much happier now and can be creative again. Also, midterm exams are over now and I'm celebrating.**

**Thank you again to everyone who has reviewed or added this story to their alerts/favorites. It makes me feel loved. So show me some love and leave a review.**

**Also, if you haven't found it yet, I do have another Dramione fic up now. So far it's just the first chapter. I'm a little disappointed in the response it's gotten so far. Everyone who's reviewed seems to love it, but not many people have read it, so I'm hoping for more of a response before I post the second chapter.**


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